House



(N0 Model.)

A. G. WATERHOUSE.

- ,ELEOTRIG ARC LAMP. N0. 366,614. Patented July 12, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THE WATERHOUSE ELECTRIC SAME PLACE.

AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

ELECTRIC-ARC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,614, dated July 12, 1887.

Application filed September 13, 1886. Serial No. 213,453. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADDISON G. WATER- HOUSE, of -the city of Hartford, in the State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Arc Lamps, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of are lamps'known as divided arcs, orlamps constructed to burn in multiple are upon a branch of a single circuit; and it consists more particularly in' improvements in a certain patent dated January 12, 1886, and numbered 334,317, to F. G. \Vaterhouse, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 represents the essential elements of two arelamps, (marked No.1 and No.2,) adapted to burn on two branches of the main circuit, which enters on the positive wire, (marked then divides and passes through the two lamps, and then unites and passes out on the negative wire, (marked Lamp marked No. 1 is of the class known as series? lamps, consisting of the main magnet to and shunt-magnet s. The half of the current that passes through this lamp enters at wire a, passingaround magnet a, and then down conductor a to contactpoint z to carbon rod B. This currentinpassingaround magnet a raises the armature T, and with it the link Z, clutch :0, carbon red It, and the uppercarbon, thus producing the are marked A. The current then crosses the are to lower carbon, C, and out on wire Z1, where its further use will be hereinafter described, This lamp is caused to feed by means of the shunt-wire leading from main wire a, then passing down wire 8 to the shunt-magnet s, then through the are by way of wire 8, and by acting on shunt-magnet s the armature T is drawn down, and with it the clutch 00, until it strikes the liberating point a, which tilts the clutch and allows rod R to gravitate through, all in the manner common to shunt or series lamps. This shunt-coil 8 leads or forms a by-path around the are, as stated, but is arranged so that as the current is passing through the are of lamp No. 1 the shunt-coil 3 remains connected; but as soon as the current ceases to pass through the arc the shunt-coil s is disconnected, so that no current passes through it. This shunt-circuit is connected and disconnected automatically by mechanism not shown. By a proper adjustment of the strength of this shunt a certain length of are can be maintained.

The lamp marked No. 2 takes its half of the current from positive wire down through conductor 9, then through connection at to magnet h, then through conductor 0 to the are producing magnet 13, then down conductor i to contact 2 on carbon rod B. This current, acting in magnet z, raises the armature T, and with it the link Z, clutch x, and upper carbon rod, R, and carbon, thus producing the are A Then the current crosses the arc to lower carbon, C, and up conductor J to the negative wire of the main line. So far in this lamp I have shown provision for raising the are, but not the means for causing it to feed. The feeding action of lamp No. 2 is as follows: The negative current from lamp No. 1 passes through wire 1), around magnet (I, then around magnet 3 then up wire rto the negative wire of the main line, where itjoins the part of the current which passes through lamp No. 2. As shown, the negative current from lamp No. 1 passes around magnet y of lamp No. 2. The purpose of this magnet y is to cause the car'- bons to feed together, the same as described regarding shunt-magnet s of lamp No. 1. Now, as the negative current of lamp No. 1 is used to cause lamp No. 2 to feed the carbons together, I arrange the strength of the two magnets 1) and 3 in such relation that when the resistance of both lamps is equal, and consequently the current of both being equal, then the strength of the magnet t will be such as to overcome the magnet y and raise the carbon to the same length of are of that held by lamp No. 1. Now, if the length of are A becomes longer than are A the less current V flows around lamp No. 1 and less around magnet y, and as the opposition it offers to the pull of magnet z is weakened, and as at the same time more current is flowing around magnet t it becomes stronger, therefore the are A is in I creased to balance that of A. Thus in case the arc of lamp No. 1 is shortened by the ac- IOO tion of its shunt s, then its resistance becomes less than that of lamp No. 2, which results in more current flowing through lamp No. 1 and magnet 9 of lamp No. 2, which strengthens the pulling down magnet y, while at the same time less current is going through lamp No. 2 and lifting-magnet becomes weakenedgvhich causes the armature to be acted upon by the superior strength of magnet 5 and thus the armature is drawn down and the lamp caused to feed until the lengths ot'the two arcs A and A become of equal length.

In short, lamp No. -1,which I call the pilotlamp, has its length of are maintained and regulated by the resistance between its carbons acting upon the shunt-magnet 3, while lamp No. 2 is regulated by the negative current from lamp N0. 1, in addition to the tendency of each lamp to be regulated in itself by more or less current passing through it, according as its are becomes greater or less than the other lamp.

So far as I have described these lamps I know that the same is described and covered by the said patent to F. G. Vaterhouse; but what is especially new in my invention is the following: Heretofore difficulties have been experienced in burning lamps in multiple arc, and some of said ditliculties are, when a current is divided between two are lamps and the current in one of these breaks, and the carbon should remain stuck up, either by defective mechanism or by the shunt coil or coils which remain in circuit holding up the armature and carbon rod, or from any other causes peculiar to various forms of lamps, in such cases all of the current would pass through the remaining lamp, which, being incapable of regulating with such an increase of current, would result in too long an arc, and, finally, the destruction of the lamp. To avoid this diflieulty I have invented the following: In Fig. 1 the negative wire I) of lamp No. 1, in passing to lamp No. 2, first passes to cut-out magnet (Z, then passes through magnet y, for the purpose before described, and out on the wire r to the line while the current which passes to lamp No. 2 first passes down wire y, then from connection at to a second cutout magnet, h, then around magnet'll to the arc, and out by way of wire J to the line Now, the duty of these cutout magnets 7t and d is as follows: In case both lamps were burning properly, the currents passing through the lamps would also pass around these magnets and cause them to raise their respective armaturcsthat is, magnet h would raise its armature q and magnet (I would raise its armature p-and the route of the currents would be through the lamps, as above described; but in case, say, lamp N o. 1 should break, owing to too long an are, or from any other causes, then the current would stop in its passage through this lamp, and also through the cut-out magnet (Z in lamp No. 2, and in doing so the armature would drop away and come in contact with point Zr. This would open a.

resume burnim short passage for the current by way of wire g, armature p, contact-point 70, wire f, resistance w, to the negative line; and in the current taking this route the lamp No. 2 would also be short-cireuited and its carbons would drop together until the carbons of lamp No. 1 came together. Then the current, being slightly opposed by resistance w, would pass through lamp No. 1, and would also pass around magnetf, which would raise the armature q and place lamp No. 2 also in circuit to take its part of the current. Again, in case the lamps were both burning and lamp No. 2 should break its are, then that branch ot'the current ceasing in its passage through lamp No. 2 would aiso cease passing through magnet 71, which would cause its armature q to drop, and in doing so would strike on the contact-point 0', which would shortcircuit magnet (I, causing armature 1) to drop again, opening the route by way of wire g, armature p, wiref, rcsistancew, to the main line This would then cut out lamp No. 1, whose carbons falling together would again be ready to begin burning as soon as the carbons of lamp No. 2 were together and ready.

I have stated above that armature q in dropping would short-e'ircuit magnet (Z and cause its armature to drop, and I will explain how it is done. When armature 1 drops on contactpoint r, a short route is made for the current from lamp N o. 1 which went around cutout magnet (l andlamp-magnct 9 This short route is from wire 7) to wire c, to contact 0 on armature (1, then along the armature q to the contact r, then out 011 1", as above stated, to junction 1* to the main line In some forms of lamps it is only necessary to cause the armature to short-circuit the cutout magnet d and leave the magnet 1 con-- stantly in circuit. This way produces the same effect described. I have shown that in case either of the lamps should break their are the carbons of the other lamp would come together until the lamp that broke is ready to when they will both start again even, and in case either one of the lamps should. become disabled the other lamp will remain permanently cut out, or until the disability of the other lamp is removed.

Fig. 2 shows a form of one of the cut-out magnets, consisting of the coil of conductor 1), the armature O, and the permanent iron core 0, which holds the armature in place after it has been drawn up by the joint action of the coil D and the core 0. \Vhen the current ceases in coil I), the armature (3 drops on the spring-connection S and forces it on the contaet-piecc X, which forms a circuit from the wire B through the screw to S, then across to X, then up through the screw to wire B. The parts S and X are connected to an insulated strip, as shown, which also answers as a head for the coil D.

In describing this invention I have shown the operating parts of. a lamp; but I do not confine mysel f to any particular form of mechanism or form of lamp, as the same will apply to the various kinds now in use. I

I have shown in the above a combination of two forms of lamps, No. 1 being what I call a pilot-lamp, in which a certain length of arc is produced and maintained by means of the shunt s acting in unison with the main-ourrent magnet, or by means of the shunt alone, as in some forms of lamps, No. 2 being what I call the annexdamp, which maybe constructed as above described, and claimed in said patent to F. G. \Vaterhouse, or may be of any other form, and instead of one of these annex-lamps being used, as described, and hereinafter claimed, several can be used with each pilotlamp and the current divided between them.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with two electricarc lamps in parallel branches of the main circuit, as described, of acutbutmagnetin the branch of one lamp behind the are of the same and in series with the regulating-coil of the other lamp, a cut-out magnet in the branch of the second lamp and in series with the arc and arc-establishing coil of the same, and a short circuit around each cut-out magnet and its connections ,each magnet controlling the short circuit around the other, substantially as described.

2. In an electric lamp adapted to burn in multiple arc witha second are lamp, the magnet d, actuated by the negative current from the other lamp, and provided with armature p and contact-point k, which prevents a short circuit around the lamps while a current is passing through said magnet and creates a short circuit around the lamps as soon as a current ceases from passing around said magnets; also the magnet h, provided with armature q and contact-point T, which, while a current is passing around it,allows a current to also pass around magnet d, but which prevents a current from passing around magnet d as soon as a current ceases to pass around said magnet h, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with two electric-arc lamps in parallel branches of the main circuit, as described, a cut-out magnet in each branch, and a short circuit around each lamp controlled by the magnet in the other branch, whereby the breaking of the circuit of either lamp causes a short circuit around the other lamp to" be established, substantially as described.

4:. In an electric lamp adaptedto burn on a branch of the main current, the cutting-out magnet cl in the same branch of the main circuit as the feeding-magnet :1 of the lamp, and the cuttingout magnet h in another branch with the arc-producing magnet i of the lamp, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Witnesses:

STEPHEN TERRY,

. CHAS. E. CHAPIN. 

